District Records Available to the Public

Freedom of Information
New York State’s Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law §87 et. seq., Rochester City School District Board of Education Policy 1120) allows members of the public to access records of governmental agencies. FOIL provides a process for the review and copying of an agency’s records. More information about the Freedom of Information Law can be found at https://www.ny.gov/open-foil-ny/open-foil-ny-resource-center.

Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Requests
FOIL requests are managed by the Rochester City School District’s Communications Department and may be submitted in one of three ways:

Online submission

Via email: FOIL@rcsdk12.org

Via mail: RCSD Communications Department
131 West Broad Street
Rochester, NY 14614

To ensure efficient processing of your application, please provide the following information:

Requester’s name, address, telephone number, and email address.

A reasonable description of the records sought, containing specific information, which will allow the District to identify and locate the records.

The requester’s preference to inspect/review records, copy records, or both.

The District’s Records Access Officer can either:

Approve the request;

Deny the request, stipulating the legal reasons for denial;

Approve the request in part and deny the request in part (i.e., some of the requested materials are released and some are withheld, or certain information is deleted for privacy reasons or other legal reasons), specifying the legal reasons for the denied portions thereof;

Give notice of an extension of time needed to fulfill the request.

For a full subject matter list consisting of the categories of all records the District possesses, please consult the NYS Records Retention and Disposition Schedule.

Fee for Duplication of Records
The Rochester City School District charges the statutorily permitted fee of $.25 per page for reproducing records requested under FOIL, or the actual cost of reproducing the records (Public Officers Law §87[1][b] and [c]). Payment must be made to the Rochester City School District by check or money order.

Appeal of a Denial
Any person denied access to a record may appeal within 30 days in writing to:

Superintendent of Schools
Rochester City School District
131 West Broad Street
Rochester, NY 14614

Solicitation or Fundraising Purposes Certification & Affirmation

The Rochester City School District does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, age, marital status, partnership status, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, gender (sex), military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status or political affiliation, and additionally does not discriminate against students on the basis of weight, gender identity, gender expression, and religious practices or any other basis prohibited by New York State and/or federal non-discrimination laws in employment or its programs and activities. The District provides equal access to community and youth organizations. NYS CR Part #154 requires the District to provide communications to ELL families in the home language that they best understand. In order to request interpretation or translation services, employees may visit www.rcsdk12.org/translationservices. For emergencies or immediate communication needs, please use the Language Line at 1-866-874-3972. School secretaries in each school or program can provide the access code for this service.